Pyrolytic conversion of hydrocarbons



March 8, 1949. WATSON 2,463,729

PYROLYTIC CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBONS Filed June 11, 194? 7 T0 FRACTIONATOR 1 71- REACTOR 4 3 \sTEAM SPENT 7 CATALYST ou AND CATALYST INVENTOR. KENNETH MERLE WATSON Patented M 3, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PYROLYTIO CONVERSION OF HYDROOARBONS Kenneth Merle Watson, Madison, Wis., aaslgnor to Sinclair Refining Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maine Application June 11, 1947, Serial No. 754,022 4 Claims. (Ci. EH2) This invention relates to the pyrolytic conzontally positioned, perforated trays or distribuversion of hydrocarbons and, more particularly, tor plates. The perforations in the respective to pyrolytic conversion processes involving the trays are spaced apart a considerable distance use of a finely divided solid catalyst. and are of such aggregate area as to cause the finely divided catalyst at elevated temperature Positioned above each perforation and vertiis suspended in the charge 011 passing to a recally spaced from the tray. I provide a collar or actor in which conversion of the oil occurs and chimney of somewhat larger inner diameter than in which the spent catalyst is separated from the m the diameter of the perforation, so that the dense tions oi the type described are commonly 15 Positioned above each chimney, I provide a designated fluid catalyst plocessesbailie so designed as to deflect the stream of sus- In conventional fluid catalyst operations as pension dgwnwardly and outwardly over the described, the Spent Catalyst is passed to the rechimney turbulence and mixing so In order to obtain the maximum yield of the my desired reaction product, thorough and uniform 21 2;: g zh s ri gi rig z a e: of tie tact between the hydrocarbons vapors and the 1 p0 catalyst being redistributed on the tray from catalyst in the reaction zone is essential. Accordwhich it was entrained and a portion thereof of large transverse area. Upon entering this chamber, there is a tendency for the catalyst to from the hydrocarbon vapors products of the drop out of suspension forming a so-calied dense phase bed of fluidized catalyst of considerable The invention M be more fully described and illustrated, by reference to the accompanying through this bed of catalyst maintaining it in a 2.1 drawings which represent conventionally and somewhat diagrammatically a particularly advantageous embodiment of my invention and of whichncommg catalyst and f 40 Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the apless than maximum catalytic eifectiveness. mums and Fu th under such conditions, there is a t Figure 2 is a somewhat enlarged vertical secency for large globules of t vapors t pass tional fragmentary view showing the arrangeupwardly through t catalyst bed without ment of the perforated plate, the chimneys and ing into intimate contact with the catalyst. 45 baflles in greater detail' The present invention provides an improved h apparatus in ca ed by the reference method of effecting thorough and intimate connumeral I of the drawing represents a generally tact between the hydrocarbon vapors and the cylindrical vertically elongated reaction chamcatalyst in the reaction zone and also provides r. cl a the op y cover plate I and closed improved apparatus especially adapted to the 50 at its lower end by a conical hopper 3, terminatcarrying out of the process. ing in conduit 4. Coaxiaily positioned in the In accordance with my present invention, the chamber I is a smaller inner chamber 5, in open suspension of hydrocarbon vapors and catalyst communication with chamber l at its upper end is passed upwardly through a plurality of sucand closed at its lower end byacone-shaped memcessive vertically spaced zones, delineated by hori- 5 .ber 6 terminating in conduit 1. Positioned in ins.

chimneys and vertically spaced thereiorm,

there is suspended a cylindrical collar or chim B is a periorated bafllc.

is suspended, by known means not shown, an umbrella type baille l2, such as more clearly shown in Figure 2 oi the drawings.

In operation, the suspension of catalyst in hydrocB-X'bon vapors to be converted is passed through conduit 1, entering the lower is evenly distributed throughthrough the successive vertically spaced zones.

There is a tendency ior the catalyst to drop out oi suspension, a dense phase body each oi the trays 9, as the suspension passes through the large transverse area zones above the trays. The vapors pass upwardly through the periorations in the trays at greatly increased velocity, by reason oi the diminishing area. The fluidized catalyst on the trays flows beneath the chimneys into the rising, high velocity streams of vapor and is caught up thereby and Jetted upwardly through the chimneys ii against the badles II. The baflles ii are generally umbrella-shaped, projecting downwardly at their center portions, as shown in Figure 2, so that the rising stream oi the suspension is deflected generally outwardly and downwardly, a large proportion of the suspended catalyst being evenly distributed over the suriace oi the body at catalyst on the tray.

As previously noted, a iurther portion oi catalyst is carried upwardly with the vapors into the next higher zone;

On reaching the upper zone of the fluidized body the chamber 5, of catalyst overflows into the within chamber l and gravitates downwardly therethrough to the lower end oi chamber i from which it is withdrawn through conduit ,l and passed to a stripper or regenerator.

My invention also provides a desirable method and means of stripping readily vaporiaable hydrocarbons irom the catalyst before leaving the reactor and, for this purpose, 1 may inject steam, or other gaseous stripping medium. into the lower end of chamber I through line it so that the stripping medium passes upwardly through the Conventional means may be employed for distributing the steam uniformly through the catalyst.

The hydrocarbon vapors, products of the conversion, together medium when are passed from the upper portion oi through a ically indicated at ll, for the separation oi suspended catalyst and, from thence. pass through conduit i to iractionating apparatus not shown.

The catalyst employed may be oi the type conventionally used in fluid catalyst processes, for instance, a silica-alumina type catalyst in finely divided or powdered iorm. The reaction condiconventionally used in operati this type and. as understood by the art, the optimum temperatures and pressures will depend primarily upon the type oi ieed stock used, the particular catalyst employed and the reaction desired.

In cracking gas 0 for instance, the reaction temperature may, with advantage, be within the range oi 800 to 1,000 F. and the pressure at the top oi the reactor within the range oi 5 to 25 pounds per square inch. The temperature oi the catalyst undergoing regeneration may, with advantage, be maintained within the range of 950 to 1,200 E, temperatures above this range being avoided by known means. The invention contemplates the use oi known methods and means ior regenerating the catalyst and ior stripping and conveying the catalyst through the system.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted with respect to the particular type oi fluid catalyst conversion processes but is applicable to various modifications oi fluid catalyst processes in which the catalyst in finely divided iorm is brought into intimate contact with hydrocarbon vapors in the conversion zone.

I claim:

1. In the fluid catalyst process ior the conversion oi hydrocarbons wherein a flnely divided catalyst at elevated temperature is brought into contact with hydrocarbon vapors to be converted in a conversion chamber, the step oi eflecting more thorough and uniform contact between the catalyst and hydrocarbon vapors in the conversion chamber, which comprises passing the suspension of catalyst and hydrocarbon vapors upwardly through a succession of vertically spaced zones of the conversion chamber, said zones being delineated by horizontally positioned perforated partitions, maintaining a bed oi catalyst on each partition, entraining catalyst in the streams of vapor passing inwardly from the perioratlons in the respective partitions, deflecting the respective streams downwardly and radially outwardly, separating a portion of the catalyst carried by the vapor streams and distributing it over the bed of catalyst through which the vapors have just passed, the vapors containing residual catalyst passing as a plurality of streams next higher catalyst bed, lyst from the hydrocarbon vapors in an upper zone and separately withdrawing the catalyst and hydrocarbon vapors i mm the conversion chamber.

2. Apparatus oi the type described comprising a vertically elongated cylindrical chamber closed at its upper end and terminating at its lower end in a hopper member, a conduit leading from the lower end oi the hopper member, a second vertically elongated chamber of smaller diameter and of less height than the first chamber, coaxially positioned in the first chamber, open at its upper end and closed at its lower end by a conical member terminating in a conduit, a plurality of vertically spaced, generally horizontally positioned perforated plates extending across the innor chamber, a chimney positioned above each perforation and vertically spaced from the plate, an umbrella-shaped baiiie positioned above each chimney and vertically spaced from the upper end thereof, and conduit means leading from the upper end of the outer chamber.

3. Apparatus oi the type described comprising a vertically elongated cylindrical chamber closed at its upper end and terminating at its lower end in a hopper member, a conduit leading from the lower end oi. the hopper member, a second vertically elongated chamber of smaller diameter and oi less height than the first chamber, coaxially positioned in the first chamber, open at its upper end and closed at its lower end by a conical member terminating in a conduit, a plurality of vertically spaced, generally horizontally positioned perforated plates extending across the inner chamber, a chimney positioned above each perforation and vertically spaced from the plate, an umbrella-shaped baflie positioned above each chimney and vertically spaced from the upper end thereof, conduit means leading from the upper end of the outer chamber, and conduit means adapted to the introduction of a gaseous medium into the lower end of the outer chamber.

4. In the fluid catalyst process for the conversion of hydrocarbons wherein a finely divided catalyst at elevated temperature is brought into contact with hydrocarbon vapors to be converted in a conversion chamber and thereafter the catalyst is stripped of readily vaporizable hydrocaricons by contact with a gaseous stripping medium, the steps of effecting more uniform contact between the catalyst and the hydrocarbon vapors in the conversion zone and of stripping the catalyst which comprises passing the suspension of catalyst in hydrocarbon vapors upwardly through a succession of vertically spaced zones of the conversion chamber, said zones being delineated by horizontally positioned perforated partitions, maintaining a bed of catalyst on each partition, entraining catalyst in the stream of vapors passversion chamber in contact with a rising current of gaseous stripping medium, whereby readily vaporizable hydrocarbons are stripped from the catalyst, passing stripped catalyst from a lower portion of the conversion chamber and withdrawing hydrocarbon vapors and stripping medium from an upper portion of the conversion chamber.

KENNETH MERLE WATSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,288,613 Dill July 7, 1942 2,391,834 Nicholson Dec. 18, 1945 

